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Marvel Comics Vol 1 1
| Editor-in-Chief = Martin Goodman | CoverArtist1 = Frank Paul | Writer1_1 = Carl Burgos | Penciler1_1 = Carl Burgos | Inker1_1 = Carl Burgos | Colourist1_1 = Uncredited | Letterer1_1 = Carl Burgos | Editor1_1 = Martin Goodman | Writer2_1 = Paul Gustavson | Penciler2_1 = Paul Gustavson | Inker2_1 = Paul Gustavson | Colourist2_1 = Uncredited | Letterer2_1 = Uncredited | Editor2_1 = Martin Goodman | Writer3_1 = Bill Everett | Penciler3_1 = Bill Everett | Inker3_1 = Bill Everett | Colourist3_1 = Uncredited | Letterer3_1 = Bill Everett | Editor3_1 = Martin Goodman | Writer4_1 = Al Anders | Penciler4_1 = Al Anders | Inker4_1 = Al Anders | Colourist4_1 = Uncredited | Letterer4_1 = Uncredited | Editor4_1 = Martin Goodman | Writer5_1 = Tohm Dixon | Penciler5_1 = Tohm Dixon | Inker5_1 = Tohm Dixon | Colourist5_1 = Uncredited | Letterer5_1 = Uncredited | Editor5_1 = Martin Goodman | Writer6_1 = Ray Gill | Penciler6_1 = Uncredited | Inker6_1 = Uncredited | Colourist6_1 = Uncredited | Letterer6_1 = Uncredited | Editor6_1 = Martin Goodman | Writer7_1 = Ben Thompson | Penciler7_1 = Ben Thompson | Inker7_1 = Ben Thompson | Colourist7_1 = Uncredited | Letterer7_1 = Uncredited | Editor7_1 = Martin Goodman | Gallery = Marvel Mystery Comics/Covers | Quotation = No Horton, I'll be free, and no one will ever use me for selfish gain - or crime! | Speaker = Human Torch | StoryTitle1 = The Human Torch | Synopsis1 = Professor Horton is holding a conference with the press, ready to reveal his creation to the world - the first android. He reveals that there is difficult problem with his discovery. Leading the press into the lab, Horton points to a man in an air-tight, glass cage whom he calls The Human Torch. When air is let into the chamber, the man's entire body catches fire. The press in the room demand him to destroy his creation "before some madman can grasp its principles and hurl it against our civilization!" The scientist refuses. Later, he is contacted and visited by The Scientist Guild. They also recommend destruction of the android since the flames cannot be controlled. They come to a compromise. The Human Torch is sealed within a steel tube which is then sealed in a block of concrete. Horton vows to find the secret to controlling the flame. However, some time later there is an explosion outside Horton's bedroom window. He finds the Torch gone. It is revealed that there was a slow oxygen leak in the steel tube. The Torch runs through the streets of the city, confused as to why everything he touches catches on fire. Some firemen douse him with water, but it just turns into steam. Realizing he is causing damage, the Torch dives into a pool in an effort to put out the flame. Inside the house with the pool, there are two men: Sardo, a racketeer, and Red, his not-so-smart lieutenant. Sardo realizes the Torch could be worth a lot of money, if used correctly. The two men go to Acmen Warehouses - Inc. to sell some fire insurance. Sardo threatens that if the company doesn't buy it, they won't have any steel left. Mr. Harris, the company's president, refuses the offer and kicks the man out. Sardo and Red place The Human Torch in a glass tube filled with water and transport him to a warehouse. There, they place him inside and throw a weight at the glass. As it shatters, the Torch bursts into flame. He quickly realizes what they are up to, and escapes with a mighty leap. The flames make him lighter than air. He burns Sardo's house down, but can't seem to find the criminal himself, who is hiding in the steel underground lab. After taking care of Sardo's men, the Torch locates the lab. Sirens catch the attention of both men. Horton and the firemen arrive on the scene. The professor notices a nitrogen tank in the flames and rushes towards it, but the Torch gets there first and melts it before it can explode. The gas puts out his flames. The fire chief fires a gun at him, but the bullet melts on his super-heated skin. The Torch returns to Sardo, who attempts to bargain for his life. The man ends up throwing a tank of sulfuric acid at the flaming android, but it backfires and explodes before even reaching the target. Sardo is killed in the blast. After using another tank of nitro, The Torch discovers he can now control the flames and throw fireballs. While walking down the street, covered in flames, he is surrounded by the police. The Torch apologizes and demonstrates his control over the fire. The police take him to headquarters where he explains Sardo's evil plans. They let him live with Professor Horton, who takes full responsibility. The Torch explains his control over the fire to Horton, who sees it as a money-making opportunity. The Torch realizes that humans will only continue to use him for their selfish purposes and escapes through the ceiling to be free. | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Villains: * * Other Characters: * * * * Unknown press members * * * Unknown citizens * Unknown construction workers * Unknown truck driver Locations: * ** *** ** ** ** ** Police headquarters | StoryTitle2 = The Angel | Synopsis2 = The Six Big Men (consisting of Dutch Hansen who specialized in extorting protection money from night clubs; Trigger Bolo, who controlled a protection racket for retail delivery companies; Mike Malone who controlled all the illegal gambling dens; Gus Ronson who extorted local restaurants; John Dillon who ran a racket on the subway system; and Steve Enkel who would influence politicians, judges and juries) are terrorizing the city. Eventually Dr. Lang (really the gangs leader), pretending to be a civic minded citizen would gather a bunch of like minded individuals and would be sworn in by a judge as special investigators. They would then seek to hire the costumed hero known as the Angel to hunt down and eliminate each of the racket bosses. The Angel had already taken up the job and made his presence known, leaving Dr. Lang to believe that his plan was coming to fruition. The Angel would first go after Ronson after he was acquitted of crimes thanks to a crooked jury. Unaware that the Angel had sneaked into the back seat of his car, Ronson would be strangled to death by the vigilante. Going after Mike Malone next, he would land a killing blow on the crook. Witnessing this John Dillon would attempt to flee the Angel, jumping out a window and falling to his death. Lil would provide the Angel with the location of Trigger Bolo and be captured by his thugs. However, before Bolo could mow the Angel down, Lil would order him and Steve Enkel to take the Angel out into the woods to be executed. There Lil would double cross Bolo and Enkle, freeing the Angel and in the ensuring fire fight both Bolo and Enkle would shoot each other. The Angel would next catch Dutch Hansen before he was making a deposit of all the stolen loot and slay him as well. Curious about who would go and pick up the loot at the safety deposit box, the Angel would stake it out and catch Lil and Dr. Lang in the act of attempting to collect it. He would capture them and turn them over to the authorities, learning of their plot to double cross their colleagues in the process. | Appearing2 = Featured Characters: * Villains: * - ** - ** - ** - ** - ** - ** - ** - ** - Other Characters: * Shorty and other workers for the Six Big Men * Unknown mayor & his secretary * Unknown local businessmen * Unknown city officials * Unknown police commissioner * Unknown citizens Locations: * Unnamed city * Unnamed restaurant * Unnamed subway station * Unnamed gambling house * Unnamed delivery syndicate * Unknown city official's home * Unknown mayor's office | StoryTitle3 = The Sub-Mariner | Synopsis3 = A diver from salvage vessel finds wrecked ship's safe empty and just recently dropped knife from shipwreck's deck. Captain orders him back down to investigate with another diver. They are searching the wreckage when attacked by Namor, the Sub-Mariner! He savagely attacks both men, stabbing one and crushing the diving helmet of the other. Namor then turns his attention to the ship, wrecking the propeller and running it aground. He heads back to his underwater home, where he is greeted by the "Holy One" who commends him on his attack against the humans. Namor brings the bodies of the two divers as trophies. His mother, Fen, congratulates him on beginning his war of revenge in such a decisive manner. Namor asks her why their people hate the Earth-men so much. She explains that in the year 1920, a research vessel called the Oracle had journeyed to Antarctica and was doing "experiments" with explosives that killed many of their fellow citizens. Since Fen looked most like a human, she was sent to find out more about what was going on. She fell in love with Commander Leonard McKenzie, and became pregnant by him. The sailors could not understand how she was able to swim in the freezing water. She learned their language and sent back messages to the undersea army that the white men were too strong for them, but they sent an army to fight those invaders anyway. The white men's bombardment annihilated most of their race, and now, 20 years later, they are ready once again to press an attack against Earth-people, and Namor will begin this war. Later, he takes his cousin Dorma with him to the Cape Anna Lighthouse. Once there, they attack the guard who stands watch on the lighthouse and wreak havoc on the controls and equipment hoping to destroy some of the ships that use it's beacon for safety. Some naval men come on the scene, and in order to escape, Namor and Dorma commandeer a plane which flies nearby. Sub-Mariner commands Dorma to wreck the plane and swim back home as Namor continues his crusade against humans. | Appearing3 = Featured Characters: * - Supporting Characters: * - * * - Villains: * * * * * Other Characters: * * Unknown * Unknown Sailors * Unknown Pilot * Leonard McKenzie Locations: * ** * Vehicles: * * | StoryTitle4 = The Masked Raider | Synopsis4 = Cal Brunder, a big league has become a menace of Cactusville, using his army of thugs to try and force the smaller ranchers into selling up their property. One night they attempt to coerce Jim Gardley into giving up his land but he refuses and fights back. Brunder's goons get the drop on him and take him to their boss, who gives Gardley one last chance to surrender his land, a request that is also refused. Cal has his men take Jim to the sheriff and have him charged on trumped up cattle rustling charges and he is locked in jail. Realizing the old sheriff is not cut out for his job anymore, Jim feigns being sick in order to trick the sheriff into opening his cell and Gardley knocks him out. Stealing a horse and riding out into the wilderness, Jim lets the horse free and then raids his own ranch for supplies. He spends the next number of days practicing his shooting skills until he has become a crack shot. Seeking a horse, he spots a white stallion running free and one day is surprised to see that it had been caught and penned in by a farmer. Freeing and taming the horse, he names it Lightning. Jim then decides it is time to go after Cal Brunder, and swearing to fight crime he dawns a black mask and dubs himself the Masked Raider. Meanwhile, back in town Cal Brunder gets opposition from the Bleck Ranch and sends his boys to shoot the ranch owner and burn the ranch to the ground as a warning to the other ranches to give up their properties. When the sheriff confronts Cal about it, Cal warns the sheriff against opposing him. Soon Brunder's reign of terror nets with success as the ranch hands prepare to deal with him. However, just after Cal hears the news he is alerted that one of his men has been shot. Pegged to his corpse is a note, a warning to Brunder and his men that they will pay for their crimes. After gaining the support of the sheriff the Masked Raider rides into Cal Brunder's ranch and begins dusting it up with his hired goons. As the Masked Raider deals with these goons Cal attempts to escape on horseback. However the Masked Raider ropes him in a lasso and pulls him off his horse. He then turns Brunder and his men over to the sheriff to be sent off to jail. After the Masked Raider leaves, the sheriff wonders if the Masked Rider will go after bigger criminals. | Appearing4 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * * Villains: * * - * - * - * Unknown Members of Brunder's Gang Other Characters: * {only|Lordin}} - * - * Unknown Ranches Locations: * - ** Jim Gardley's ranch ** Cactusville jail ** Bleck's ranch ** Unnamed saloon ** Unnamed barn | StoryTitle5 = Jungle Terror | Synopsis5 = After Professor John Roberts has been gone for three months searching the jungles of the Amazon to find a diamond that can supposedly enslave people, his friend Ken Masters and nephew Tim Roberts decide to travel out to find the missing scientist. As they fly out from Florida in their own plane, they are soon aware that hey are being followed by John Crafton -- a rival plantation owner. Unfortunately for Ken and Tim, their plane cracks up and they crash, and while they survive they are soon captured by some of the local natives. Crafton and his men land safely and when they are confronted by the natives as well, they try to fight them but one of John's men is killed before they can flee the scene. In the native village, Ken and Tim are brought to the chief who sentences them to death and sequesters them in a prisoners hut until it's time to be executed. To their surprise Professor Roberts is there as well. The Professor explains that the natives were friendly to him until they realized that he was after the diamond and locked him up. However, he had just recently found a passageway hidden in the floor and the trio decide to use it to try and escape the natives. They find themselves in a cavern that leads them to a massive stockpile of diamonds. Before they can begin collecting them they are confronted by John Crafton and his goon Slug who found the cavern while fleeing from the natives. The natives catch up and slaughter Crafton and Slug. Ken, taking Crafton's pistol holds the natives at bay while Ken and the Professor flee. Ken catches up to them just as they find Crafton's airplane and the trio uses it to escape unscathed. When the boys lament about being unable to collect the diamonds, the Professor shows them a smaller diamond that he managed to grab before their escape. | Appearing5 = Featured Characters: * * Supporting Characters: * Villains: * - Other Characters: * - * - * Amazon Jungle Natives Locations: * ** - **John Crafton's plantation home - * ** *** Amazon Jungle Natives' Village ****Diamond Cave Vehicles: * - * - | StoryTitle6 = Burning Rubber | Synopsis6 = Bill Williams is a race car driver with something to prove when the audience laughs at his shabby looking Blue Bird race car. Deciding to go on the race alone, he sends his mechanic Fred Turner to find his girlfriend Ann. Ann is told by Fred that Bill has been moody because he has been working on a new gas feeder system for his race car that they have been proposing to C.G. Clark the motor magnet. When Fred explains that Bill is testing it out on the road this moment and that a minor flaw could have a dangerous catastrophe. Ann shows the plans to Clark and wins the sale and then has Bill flagged out of the race before he has an accident. When Bill realizes what Ann had done for him he is as happy as can be. | Appearing6 = Featured Characters: * Bill Williams - Supporting Characters: * Fred Turner - * Ann - Other Characters: * C.G. Clark - | StoryTitle7 = Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great | Synopsis7 = John and Constance Rand, along with their three-year-old son David, are flying to Cairo, when their aircraft crashed into a Belgian Congo jungle. Though all three survived the crash, Constance shortly died of her wounds. John decided to look after and dedicate his life to his son, teaching him how to survive in the wild. Permanently deluded after being hit by a falling tree, he made the jungle their home. David grew up, strong and healthy, in harmony with the jungle and the creatures dwelling inside it, even saving Zar the lion from a cruel death, trapped in quicksand. One day, they both encountered a group of natives led by a fat white man. John tried to make them leave the sacred jungle before they profane it. The white man, Paul DeKraft, was a vicious criminal on a treasure hunt and would not so easily be convinced to turn back. So John Rand was shot in his sleep, and his son would have met the same fate if not for Zar. The lion, remembering the young man who saved his life, scared the whole gang away. The feline later took the boy into his lair, accepting him as brother. He would now be called Ka-Zar, brother of Zar, and would earn the respect of all the jungle creatures. | Appearing7 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * * * , the lion Villains: * Other Characters: * , the lioness * , the gorilla * , the wild pig * , the monkey * , the buzzard * , the hippopotamus * , the leopard * , the elephant * - * Unknown Snake * Unknown Bird Locations: * ** *** - *** Vehicles: * * Unnamed Rescue Airplane | Notes = * First Marvel Comic published. * Ka-Zar first appeared in October 1936 in a Manvis Publishing Company pulp magazine called Ka-Zar. Two more issues of the magazine were published (in January and June 1937) and Ka-Zar did not appear until "Marvel Comics #1". * The Angel story in this issue mimics much of the plot of The Saint in New York by Leslie Charteris. * The first page of this issue shows a "funnies" page named "Now I'll Tell One!". * First 8 pages of "The Sub-Mariner"-story are reprinted in color from . * The stories of this issue are reprinted in other comics and books, see references for more info.The 1st story is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's: ** - 1st story ** - 1st story ** - 1st story ** - 1990 reprint, 1st story ** - 1st story ** - 1st story * The 2nd story is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's: ** - 2nd story ** - 1990 reprint, 2nd story ** - 2nd story * The 3rd story is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's: ** - 3rd story ** - 1st story ** - 2nd story ** - 1990 reprint, 3rd story ** - 3rd story ** - 1st story ** - 3rd story ** - 3rd story ** - 2nd story * The 4th story is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's: ** - 4th story ** - 1990 reprint, 4th story ** - 4th story * The 5th story is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's: ** - 5th story ** - 1990 reprint, 5th story ** - 5th story * The 7th story is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's: ** - 6th story ** - 1990 reprint, 6th story ** - 6th story | Trivia = * This issue is sometimes referred to as "Marvel Mystery Comics #1", as the next series' storyline is in Marvel Mystery Comics #2. * Some copies of this issue will have a blackened Oct. on the cover and instead have Nov. in its place. This is due to Timely selling out with over 80,000 issues sold in with the first printing in 1939. This prompted Timely to print a second printing with the Nov. date added. * This comic is referenced throughout The Venture Bros. Season 4 premiere "Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel", where the mint-conditioned comic's loss in value as the Venture family uses it is a recurring joke. | Recommended = | Links = * Marvel Masterworks Synopsis * Wikipedia:Marvel Mystery Comics#Premiere issue: Marvel Comics #1 }}